


Taste of Steel

by TWE



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Biotics, Bromance, M/M, Post-Canon, amping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 04:40:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2216166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWE/pseuds/TWE
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life after the war is quiet for Kaidan Alenko until five little words from one he least expected starts him on a journey that will test even the best natured men.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rabbit Hole

There was no way it was possible, Kaidan told himself. But it was easily the third time he’d noticed it since he started counting. There was just no way that the touches were accidental anymore. That the invasion of personal space was just some ignorance because of the species difference. 

Each new report that crossed his desk was added to by a brush of fingers. Kaidan could feel the temperature difference between them. And when he worked at the console while they set up another building and set up the security system they would be right there. 

But this last move, he wanted it so much to be an accident but he knew it couldn’t ever be. At first it felt like a breath, but that was just as impossible as the touch. And then there was the spark down his spine that electrified his entire being. Then there was a blinding light, and a darkness as if he’d passed out only his mind was still racing and conscious. 

Kaidan was counting the seconds as the world faded back into existence. It was Sepia as the forms of trees and a lake and even the sun folded its way into his reality. In front of him, like a shimmer in water as the ripples died, another more solid form began to take shape. The more solid it became, the more it stepped closer in this new world.

A swimmers body, with sepia-toned auburn hair, a bright smile and eyes that seemed to be lit from the inside. It was a person. A man. 

“We are the same,” he said and another jolt of electricity sparked through him. Soon enough he was back at his desk, white knuckled and holding onto the wood like it was his only anchor to this world. He was aware of the large form behind him, all too much. 

“We. Are the same,” He said again, the naturally metallic and monotone voice. Kaidan’s big eyes looked up at the single shining light housed within the red plate housing that the Geth Prime called a head. Its fingers moved to Kaidan’s shoulder, and raised what passed for brows as it cocked its head to the side. 

“How?” was all he could manage, his voice airy and rough. His whole body was tense and aching. The metal hand moved down his spine, then back up to the base of his neck. Tender. Sweet. Almost coy and so very very human; something he never would have thought a Geth could be. 

“You. Have a network,” It said simply. “We. Have a network. We want to join with your network.”

“My network?” 

The question was answered with a soft brush behind his ear, the same almost-breath that the other made before to start this mess. Before his eyes, the metal was superimposed by the human form he’d seen in his dream mere moments ago and the dots fell together like bricks falling from a wall. 

His implants were mechanical. His scars and the implants below them were so sensitive they were giving off their own signal that the Geth was tapping into on the most intimate level. 

“Prime, stop.” He asked weakly as the lower half of his body turned to jelly.

“We want to join with your network. We…..I…..want to join with you.”

“Why?” Kaidan was full of eloquence as he fought to keep the moan at the back of his throat. 

“I…want to love you.”

The moisture evaporated from his mouth, and his tongue stuck as he simply stared at the machine. 

Love. 

There were a number of things he was sure of: when Legion sacrificed himself for the good of the collective, it was true that he had shown compassion and sympathy, both honourable traits that would ultimately lead to sacrifice. HE was sure that the Geth were truly sentient; but it may have been some misplaced racism or some feeling of superiority that made it absolute in his mind that made him think that sentience did not guarantee or prove any level of emotional breadth.

Something fundamental in his humanity declared that this was not possible at all. Especially outside one’s own species. And especially considering love was needed for reproduction, and the Geth did not even need the bodies they inhabited to survive. 

When his tongue was able to move once again, he couldn’t help but ask: 

“What do you know about love?” He paused a moment, and raised a hand before the Geth could respond. It was unfair of him to ask. 

“Let me think about it?” 

It seemed enough for Prime. Without any indication he was heard, the Geth moved away from him and Kaidan could swear on some fundamental level he had hurt his feelings. But what did Kaidan feel? Yes, he’d come to respect them, maybe even like having the prime around. There were little bouts of dead humour that reminded him of Legion and the stories that Shepard used to tell. 

He was in trouble. 

 

The green LCD numbers told him it was some ungodly hour of the morning. Somewhere through the night he’d kicked off his blankets though he certainly wasn’t cold. With a heavy sigh, the biotic rolled from his side onto his back and stared a hole into the ceiling. His hands folded neatly over his stomach and his fingers threaded together. 

Kaidan should have been asleep, but his room felt too humid. His skin was glowing just softly with the beginnings of sweat clinging to his pale skin and his thoughts racing did little to help him become more comfortable. 

A quick shiver passed through him with the stray thought of what Prime had said to him during the day and his eyes couldn’t help but close. Behind them, the dream he’d had when Prime had touched him of the human with the shining eyes came to him unbidden and he was surprised when his hand strayed upwards and plucked just barely over his own stiff nipple. 

Kaidan opened his eyes again, his breathing getting heavier as the other hand snaked down underneath the waist band of his shorts to stroke. Again with the surprise he found himself half aroused by the idea that he was loved by this machine, and even though his hand worked himself to hardness he couldn’t quite imagine how he and a Geth Prime could do anything physical. 

The man in his mind, however, was a different story. In the darkness under his eyelids the auburn haired man came towards him, large hands outstretched and coming to rest on his hips. Kaidan had been expecting warmth, but there was a deep chilled ache at the almost more desired feeling of metallic cold and smooth fingertips dancing over the lines of his muscle.

Kaidan moaned, pinching and rolling his nub between his fingers and under his thumb, his body jerking up into his hand. A wet patch already spreading across the front of his shorts, he swallowed as the man of his dreams left soft little kisses up his neck. Those hands, and those magically cool fingers were slowly inching downward, pushing at the material that hugged his hips. 

He jumped as the console across the room beeped and flashed into reality, his hands moving instantly to grip at the mattress either side of him. He groaned, fighting to catch his breath before he stood shaky and moved to answer whoever it was calling.

“What?” Kaidan uttered darkly as his hands punched the accept button flashing on screen.

“Alenko, Major,” It wasn’t Prime, and although the platform itself wasn’t something he recognised, only one of the Geth he worked with still called him Major. 

“Hunter. Sorry. Do you know what time it is?” 

“I apologise, Alenko, Major. We thought you may wish to know a Geth Hierarchy has been destroyed in the exodus cluster. This hierarchy serves as the network to the citadel. Alenko, Major, programs on the Exodus Hierarchy are feared destroyed.”

“What does that mean, Hunter?” Kaidan asked, fearing what he thought he already knew. Not that Hunter had a tone in his voice, or an inflection that gave it away, but Kaidan could only think the immediate worst – and the only reason that Hunter would call at almost 4am Citadel time would be for one thing only. 

“Alenko, Major. Signatures familiar to the human platform are not yet transferred to a secondary Hierarchy and are feared lost.” 

“Prime?” 

“The platform remains dormant after initiating downtime three hours ago.” 

Kaidan didn’t bother saying goodbye, just turned off the screen and looked to the window and the lights illuminating his lounge from outside. Something…no. _Someone_ as alive as Prime could not be just gone like that. They don’t vanish after leaving so many open questions about himself and between one another. 

“Computer,” He said to his surrounds as he headed straight for the shower. 

“Ready,” came the soft computer reply.

“What ships are in dock right now. And their captains?”

“Records require…”

“….Require spectre codes to access. Yes. You have my permission to use the codes. Now tell me?” 

The shower was only quick and cold to wake him up and calm him down. His hair was brushed with his fingers through his hair after towelling it dry and pulled on his ship leathers. 

“The Orion and the Shepard.”

“The Orion is a Salarian stealth vessel in dock for refit. Captain Arlass in command. The Shepard is a second generation Alliance Stealth Fighter. Commander Vega, N7 in command.” 

Kaidan had to stop for a moment. It had been five years since he’d heard the name, or even seen the face outside a couple of stray video mails. James Vega. He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as he reached his door. 

“What dock is the Shepard on?”

“C-9. It is preparing for launch.”

“Delay it. I’m on my way.”


	2. Old Friends

There’s something innately satisfying about the mechanical hiss that comes seconds before the doors open after pressurisation. And then there’s the nervous flutter of the human heart as it steps from the comfort of known oxygen and temperature to decontamination, sterilisation and the possibility there is nothing beyond the bulkhead door when it’s all said and done.

The air on alliance ships smells faintly of metallic roses that you only notice is there your first three steps on board that your skin absorbs and makes you feel at home. The recycled air tickles the back of your throat the first half dozen breaths until your lungs became used to the slightly lower humidity on board. And then you pass below the first air vent and you’re greeted by the smell of the rest of the ship. 

The Shepard was no different. Only the textured steel and gunmetal panelling punctuated by the familiar blue and silver of the alliance logo and the glass that you can’t help run your bare fingers over just once. The physical proof that this…space thing was real. 

The human mind and ingenuity was something that still surprised Kaidan. When he was young he’d read stories about space flight when it was still a dream. And then finding the Prothean store on Mars changed everything. Then there was Eezo, Turians and a whole galaxy of species that Kaidan was all too familiar with in his time with the Alliance. 

He loved space. Everything about space. Being in space, looking out into space, moving between the stars and the silence in between. It had been too long since he had been off the citadel and in his element. Longer still since he had been on board a ship with someone he would trust his life to.

James Vega looked pissed.

That is, until his dark eyes spotted the familiar shape and uniform of the off-duty Spectre. The scowl that lay written on Vega’s face slowly turned lopsided, and then mirrored into a smile that grew. The commander ran a hand through his hair as Kaidan closed the gap between them and even offered a salute that his old friend returned without thought.

“I thought this was just some bullshit takeover. It’s good to see it’s just you, Alenko.”

Kaidan returned the smile, a little proud to see James standing behind the relay map of his own ship. The map itself vanished as the commander stood down from the dais that overlooked it and offered a hand out for Kaidan to take his place. 

“Where we goin’?” He had to ask, trying to keep his voice light as the sight of the dejected and almost defeated eyes of his old friend finally meeting his own. Kaidan breathed out and looked at the space where the map was before standing on the dais and plotting the course.

“Major!” 

The course set, and the executive officer briefed Kaidan stepped down again and headed for the lift, mumbling only two words. 

“With me.”

 

 

The captain’s cabin was cosy in a way that a small bedroom could be. Where Shepard had once had a fish tank, James now had a wall projector that was currently transparent and showing the interior of the citadel dock. The metallic pops of the clamps releasing the ship echoed through the hull even here and the Citadel soon gave way to nebulae and space. 

Both Kaidan and James entered the cabin, one bare two steps behind the other and where Kaidan had become distracted with the view into space, James’ eyes locked solely on his friend. 

“You use your spectre powers to hijack my ship and then give me orders on my own bridge without consulting me. I think you owe me a few answers. What’s going on, Kaidan?”

How much did he say? How much could he really tell James about something that was basically speculation and personally driven. How many years had he trained to be discreet only to have it fail now at his very fingertips. Kaidan took two deep breaths before closing his eyes. 

“What do you know about the Geth Hierarchy?”

“ As much as anyone, I guess?” James said with a shrug, sitting at the end of his own bed. “It’s like a Geth city in space, right? For when they go offline it’s where they sleep.”

“It’s like a computer mainframe,” Kaidan corrected. “If one goes down, it’s fine but all that memory is lost. We lost one in Exodus and that’s where we’re going.” 

James thought for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to work out why exactly one Hierarchy was so important. Kaidan was ahead of him, continuing with the thoughts without being asked. 

“The Geth have been working on a secondary station with the other species. The Hierarchy that went silent holds the information about the new station. We need to know if it’s recoverable, and why it went silent in the first place. This mission is covert, so no one outside us will know about it. Is that understood?” 

James could hear the desperation in the voice long before the coldness of the order. James nodded and gave half a salute before leaning his elbows down to his knees and lifted his head to look up and watch Kaidan still lost in the stars outside. He knew there was something else, and the lack of anything really concrete in the explanation told him as such but he was in no position to argue. 

“I got room for a spare bunk in here if you’re looking for sleep, Major?”

The pregnant silence hung between them in the air as Kaidan tried to decide whether he wanted sleep, or whether he wanted to stay still and watch the universe go by in peace. 

“I’ll sleep when we jump. James…” Kaidan closed his eyes, opening them when he looked at his friend. “Do you have anyone special?” 

“The Shepard is my baby. Outside that, no.” James shook his head. “Why? Do you?” 

“No.” Kaidan answered too quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the frame. 

The Shepard was not like the Normandy, the Spectre noted as he looked out the window down the side of the ship. It was smaller, though the whole engineering section was now simply the mass effect core. Everything that was wrong with the second Normandy was fixed on the Shepard. Less crew. More Marines. 

But the special thing about the new ship was the one they were on could fit into a larger Leviathan class battleship and act as a command deck. It was an innovative idea, one that would mean that whatever the problem, there would be someone and something with enough power and command to work through it. A rescue operation or a full battle with Batarians could be done while docked whereas stealth missions could be done with the small streamlined ship they were in now undetected. 

The Leviathan battleship was always close. And Kaidan hoped as they neared the mass array that they would not need it as they came to the Hierarchy.

“Right,” James finally said as he stood. “Lunch in the mess is at 1400 hours. Dinner is at 1900 hours and the nightshift begins at 2200 hours. You’re welcome to come join, the crew would love some company. Plus it’s rancheros night! All the awesome eggs you can eat.” 

Kaidan let out the first puff of a laugh he’d had since before he heard about the incident.

“Thanks, Vega,” he chided, relaxing a little as the thoughts returned to him unbidden. Was his friend even alive? And if he was, would all the information be in tact? Would any of the information be there still that made Prime and the others what they were, and what would he do if they weren’t?

He was completely unaware of the scrutiny he was under from the larger captain as he slipped deeper into thought. He also didn’t notice when two uncomfortable minutes later James slipped away into the elevator and returned to the command deck. All Kaidan was still trying to work out in his mind was what would he do if he did find Prime again. What would he say? What could he say to the other. The Geth had declared his love and then for all intents and purposes disappeared from the universe. 

Kaidan still had no idea what it was he felt for the Geth; he just knew that the Prime needed to be in his life, and in the flesh so to speak for him to even be able to put words to the swirl and haze of emotion that was clouding all his better judgement. 

His only hope was that when they got there, there was still something of the Hierarchy left to rescue. 

Before the thoughts could overwhelm him, his stomach growled, forcing Kaidan’s eyes first to his navel, then to the clock that sat on the desk. 1347. Those eggs sounded good.


	3. Light and Shadow

The whole world was bathed in shadow, though Kaidan could make out the outlines of buildings and the occasional electric flick of charge across the sky like silent storm hanging in space. Each new flash of light lit up where his dream wanted him to go. 

The first step he took was shaky. The second felt more solid. And then he had to stop as a reaper bellowed overhead and a bright red laser-eye opened into the world. Around him there were screams that faded into the shadow and he ran; not away from the creature as any sane person would do, but towards it as his soul demanded he do. 

As Kaidan neared the reaper, finding a gun of his own and pulling it free, aiming it at the laser. He fired, and felt the familiar kick of the weapon despite not hearing an actual shot go off. The reaper above him screamed again and Kaidan fell to a knee to better stabilise his shot. 

Out of the darkness behind him, three….no four….no five new figures came and the world seemed to swirl around him making sure that there was nothing outside the reaper and the fighters around him. This was the last battle, he knew it. A shotgun went off to his left, a sniper rifle to his right. Then more gunshots which only served to anger the collector just that much more. 

Kaidan Alenko felt like a small child in the midst of this. The fighters around him towering over him and seemed to be doing more damage. He’d never felt so helpless. 

“Alenko.” 

That voice, metallic and emotionless caught him in the crossfire and drowned out any other sound for a moment. He needed to hear that again, just to make sure it was real. He knew with just one word who the voice belonged to. It was the only soul in the universe that still called him by that name. 

A hand fell on his shoulder, making Kaidan jump as he stood and turned the gun about.

 

Light flooded his eyes before it faded into the dark ceilings and darker eyes looking down at him. 

“Kaidan,” James said again, shaking his friend awake as he had a hundred times before. “We’re through the relay. You’re needed on the command deck.”

“James?” Kaidan asked, sitting up a little bit while his brain moved from dream to reality. 

“That’s me. We’re here Major.”

Kaidan raised a hand to his sweat-clung forehead and looked at his exposed toes. He didn’t realise he’d be asleep for so long. All he’d gone to bed for was to rest his eyes to stop them burning. Given the time he spied on the wall opposite he’d been out for at least five of the six hours of journey between relays.

“Scan the system. I’ll be up in a moment.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Major?” James offered again. There was some other weight on Kaidan’s shoulders, Vega could see that, and whatever it was it was bringing his friend down to a level he’d never seen him. He hoped before this was over the Major would be able to confide in him enough. A burden shared was always a burden halved in his book. 

“I’m fine,” Kaidan muttered, shifting in the bed and putting his feet on the floor at the same time. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he knew would be all eyes on deck on him as they waited for their next orders. He pulled on his boots blindly, and took his time taking charge of his persona. By the time the Major stood his shoulders were back, his hair was in place and the just woken scruff of growth on his face looked deliberate in its execution.

James couldn’t help but let his eyes roam down that body as it walked past him with a command and control that seemed effortless and natural despite what he saw mere minutes ago. 

The elevator ride was silent and slightly more uncomfortable than James Vega could remember others being. While the air of confidence was nearly faultless, he’d seen what was there before. He noted the innocent nervous tap of Kaidan’s foot on the floor of the elevator; the bare shift of fingers as they tapped the leather on his pants just below his belt. The anxiousness was well controlled, James noted, for anyone who didn’t know what they were looking for. 

As the door opened, Kaidan took the commanding steps forward onto the desk and stepped straight up to the dais.

“Bring up the outside.” 

The relay map turned orange for a moment and seemed to zoom into the Exodus cluster. First it showed what should have been there: two systems, Asgard and Utopia. Then the screen zoomed again to Asgard and its four planets. Since the war these planets had been the ones to take on most of the human refugees. And from that the agreement came to house a Geth Hierarchy in orbit around Tyr as protection and as support with building outside Rannoch. 

As the computer zoomed to the third planet, it was clear the Hierarchy was missing and replaced by twisted metal and wreckage that was no doubt creating a spectacular sight to those staring up at the sky from the planet’s surface. 

Kaidan held his breath, looking to the right. 

“Can we dock?”

The workers scanned the wreckage, fingers moving like the wind as to not disappoint the Spectre that loomed above them. Each of the soldiers to the side analysed the wreckage inside and out hoping to find an answer that would satisfy him.

Finally one of them chose to speak, but looked at her Commander rather than the Spectre.

“Sir with a shuttle there is a chance a small team could dock on the least damaged side of the Geth Hierarchy.” 

James nodded, looking up to Kaidan for a sign of his own acknowledgement. Instead of relief there was darker determination written on his face. 

“And power?”

“There is a small electrical signal. There seems to be some platforms still operational, sir. Maybe even a computer bank. But the generators keep shorting out so we don’t know for sure, sir.”

“Good, Andrews,” James replied before Kaidan could say anything. While it earned him a glare, Commander Vega still gave the orders on the Shepard. 

“Cortez!” 

“Yes sir?” The reply cracked over the radio all around them. 

“Get the shuttle ready. Equipped for four.” 

“At once sir.” The whole crew could hear the proud salute even over the radio, and that brought a more than pleased smile to James as he finally received all of his friends attention once more. 

“Four?”

“You honestly think you’re going in alone?” James bantered back, trying to both keep the conversation light and to make sure that Kaidan knew that he was not alone. Kaidan gave James a sidelong look before straightening his shoulders.

With a satisfied smirk, James pressed a hand to the console in front of him. 

“Marcus, Naira…..Shuttle on the double.”

Neither of them waited for an answer before heading in unison towards the elevator once more. The shuttle was already equipped, as Kaidan knew Steve Cortez would. And he took a moment to wonder if his armour would still fit when he put it on.

 

The journey was both shorter and longer than he wanted or expected, but at least his armour still fit. He couldn’t find it in himself to sit, and so held onto the bulkhead right above the door as he once saw Shepard do before battle. Kaidan understood now what it was that she was doing; anchoring herself to what she did know and assessing the men and women under her command, making sure that they had each other’s backs.

Daikon Marcus was a martial artist champion back on Earth. His short cropped hair was just long enough to fall in his eyes when he turned his head too quickly and was the sort of black you only saw in anime. He was built with a kind of frame that was part way between himself and James, and smiled with his sun kissed lips whenever James said his name. His accent was Hawaiian, Kaidan thought on their first meeting, and he didn’t really see the need for someone so young on this mission.

Frankie Naira was almost Marcus’ opposite. Dressed in dark blood armour that only seemed to bring out her double plaited fire-red hair. She was the kind of girl Kaidan could so easily see sitting in some Alabama rocking chair with a straw hat carving wood with a hand-sharpened knife just because she thought she could hear the wood scream. There was no smile at all in contrast to Marcus, but at the same time there were no nerves there either. 

Both the kids that James had chosen were obviously warriors with their own style of fighting. They’d both seen the end of the war on earth in their teens and told themselves they wanted this. But what was it that James was actually expecting to need more than the two of them? 

Cortez was gentle as he moved the shuttle into position. The clutch of metal on metal and the hiss with the compression and air between them set the hairs on the back of Kaidan’s neck standing on end. The moment the ship came in contact with the ruined Hierarchy he could feel the electricity; and by the looks of the other three they could feel the change in the air too.

“There’s enough air for an hour comfortably for the four of you. The generator is down. The mainframe is up,” Cortez offered from his seat, looking back over his shoulder as his hands ghosted over the panels in front of him. 

Naira was up in an instant, cocking her oversize shotgun. It wasn’t until she moved out of the shadow of the edge of the shuttle and into the light that her dark mascara and eyeliner showed her determination. She was ready to kill something. Marcus was already invisible, hidden by an electronic cloak he’d seen others use in the past. 

James was the first through the open door, taking point into the nothing while Kaidan followed. 

“You three take on the generator. I’m going to the mainframe. And before you argue,” Kaidan began, looking specifically at James. “What is in the mainframe is need to know only. And right now, you do not have the clearance. If it is important, I _will_ tell you. Is that understood?” 

James didn’t say anything, nodding as he took the order before barking his own. Kaidan himself missed it, stepping straight towards the access ladder and moving himself upward until there wasn’t any further up to go. The only light he had was a biotic sphere that he lodged above him. 

If there was any power in the consoles there wasn’t any now. The air smelled faintly of burning oil and ozone; an electrical fire. There were no immediate signs of the fire, or in fact of any physical damage at all. The buzzing he’d felt the moment they docked was now making his teeth ache. For once, though, Kaidan’s headache was all but gone. 

Dragging a finger along the edge of one console, he was surprised to find no dust; the filters must still have been working. The spectre sighed, leaning back against the console and looking at the blank wall opposite that any earth ship would have made a window. He could see the stars through the thick wall if he closed his eyes and thought about it.

In fact, Kaidan Alenko could see a lot more than just stars. There was a light as bright as the sun and getting brighter. And then a cold pain wrapping and coiling around his fingers and up his arm from the console behind him. For an instant, he could hear screaming of a thousand lives in a thousand generations and then the world was blissfully dark as the console flared into life and exploded behind him.


	4. Found

Before he was aware of the metallic sting in his nose, Kaidan Alenko could hear voices. One was uttering a myriad of unfamiliar Spanish to what Kaidan could only imagine were curses, and the other more soft and feminine voice slipping in and out of French. He smiled inwardly as his more favoured colourful nouns slipped from the woman like he was standing in the middle of Montreal at Christmas.

 

The third voice grabbed his attention, louder and clearer than the rest of the din in the room.

 

“Alenko.”

 

Kaidan groaned a little, his eyelids not quite strong enough to open yet. The electronically synthesised voice that was familiar and standard to all Geth sounded as if it were right next to his ear. And just like other Geth, there was a distinct lack of volume control with even tone. But he could also hear the inflection of warmth said with just the one word.

 

It was him. Or rather what the Spectre liked to imagine was a him. Naturally the Geth were asexual, unable to reproduce using the typical biological means, but to Kaidan it was always a male.

 

Prime.

 

The word was in his head and begged to be spoken just to get another reassuring word in that voice. Even through his eyelids however he could see the solid shadow of the Geth head that had the entasis that could only be a Prime unit.

 

Kaidan tried to move, his fingers responding, then his hand. Soon his arm was reaching upward towards the shadow only to be taken by a soft and warm hand smaller than his own and have it placed on his stomach with all the gentle care of a doctor with bedside manner.

 

“Are you awake, Major? Can you hear me?”

 

Chloe Michel had a singularly musical voice, when he thought about it. Able to convey so much emotion with a single thought and be able to put one at ease with the dulcet lull of the Anglo-French accent. Kaidan didn’t want that voice though, and his mumble as he tried to speak was a little disgruntled.

 

“C’mon, Major!” James’ voice came from behind her somewhere, though his eyes were still not open to see. He wanted to hear Prime again, he _needed_ to know it wasn’t just his imagination spurring him on.

 

“Give him a moment, Commander. An electric shock like that could have done more damage to him because of his implants.”

 

In the back of his mind he imagined Commander Vega, still in his armour, folding his arms over his chest at being told to calm down. He could see the tight-set jaw staring through the back of the good doctor’s head and straight to him prone on the medical bay table that was warm now thanks to his own body-heat. Kaidan realised he had to have been out for some time if the metal was warm underneath him.

 

“It wasn’t the implants,” Kaidan heard himself say, trying finally to open his eyes. The room was too bright, though he could tell too that the lights had been dimmed for him.

 

“Dios, Kaidan…..don’t scare me like that!”

 

His hand was taken in two larger warm ones and forced the biotic to turn his dark eyes up. The smile was weary on Vega’s lips and his bottom lip quivered as he tried to hold back the emotion.

 

“Lo siento?” The Spectre offered back, using the only Spanish he remembered from his early days at school. At least the worried smile of the man above him turned real as he said it.

 

“How are you feeling, Major?” Michel asked, taking the opportunity to get back beside him to check all the machines as they sketched out the inner workings of everything to a screen.

 

“Migraine,” He muttered simply, though forced himself to sit up despite the acute pain and twisting of his stomach from the movement. It was only when he was upright that the colours and shapes started to swirl at the edges. A thick black shadow caught his attention, forced his gaze up; his brain kept spinning and pitched him forward. He was lucky that James was there to catch him.

 

“Be still, Alenko.” He heard one of the lights say before he closed his eyes. While he still wanted to try and see that shadow or see the origin of the words. A part of his mind told him that they were one and the same given the voice did not belong to either James or the doctor.

 

Kaidan took a deep breath before following those words, stilling himself and his nausea with it. Migraines sucked, pure and simple.

 

“Better. The Hierarchy is saved. We need to download.”

 

“Saved where?” He asked lowly.

 

“What? Kaidan, what did you say?” James asked, the grip on the Spectre tightening just barely. Something was going on here; something not normal in any sense of the word.

 

“He seems to be ‘allucinating,” the Doctor whispered to James, leaning down to check Kaidan’s eyes and pupil response and writing the results as she went along.

 

“Major Alenko, you should lay back down and stay a little longer. You are not fully recovered yet.”

 

Kaidan’s head fell back again; something about the order took away any fight he seemed to have and all the energy drained from his limbs.

 

“Sleep,” one last word from Prime, loud and soft between his ears as the migraine and medication being pumped into his veins once more turned the world to black.

 

 

 

James Vega sat in his chair, towel around his shoulders and tracksuit pants clung to his well-toned thighs just below his hip. Leaning in on his elbows, he turned on the computer screen and brought up the latest reports. Scrolling through them one by one, he yawned before flicking his eyes to the ticking clock beside the photo he kept on his desk for posterity.

 

He almost missed it.

 

A subject in binary, and a message that read in only ones and zeroes. If he hadn’t have been dealing with Kaidan and the loss of an important Geth station he would have only seen it as a mistake. He opened it, his brows furrowing together as he tried to use what little computer training he had to translate it.

 

01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100110 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01000110 01100001 01110010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110100 01100001

 

Each time he looked at it the ones and zeroes ran into one another becoming one whole wall of text. Maybe it wasn’t meant for him, the captain surmised, and closed not only the email but the computer itself.

 

“Fuck, what a day, Lola,” He husked, leaning back in his chair and patting the wall of the Shepard behind him as he stretched. He almost lost his friend after thinking he’d lost his ship to some Citadel prank.

 

He was about to stand and head finally to bed before his screen chirped with a message.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Commander?” Michel’s voice was strained, almost scared. “You better come down ‘ere. Alenko is…..please come.”

 

 

 

Kaidan Alenko had every muscle tense and his face red as he arched off the bed as if a current was moving through him. His mouth open wide and his neck bulging with the effort of the silent scream that wracked his body. Sweat beaded on the exposed skin and the electronics in the room buzzed with static and white noise.

 

“Hold ‘im down,” The good doctor ordered her current assistant which took the form of the Marine Naira. She took pleasure in pinning his shoulders to the cold metal table with enough force to leave body indentations. The biotics that flooded the two of them from Alenko was enough to soften the metal, but Naira would always tell those who asked in later pub story-swaps that it was her strength that caused them.

 

Under her hands she felt more than heard bones pop and crack, but still no scream from the Spectre as whatever torture was going through his body continued to make him fight. That is, until the drugs that the doctor was able to finally pump into him with her shaking hands finally relaxed the muscles enough.

 

“What the hell?” With beautiful timing as always, James Vega walked through the med-bay doors in time to see the end of the scene.

 

Naira pulled back, noting the purple bruises in the shape of her hands on the older man’s pale skin as she saluted.

 

“He ‘ad some kind of seizure. He is now in an induced coma.”

 

“What? He was awake three hours ago.”

 

Doctor Michel opened her pale lips to answer, surprised at first at the voice that came out until she realised it was actually coming from the man still on the metal bed.

 

“You will find it in Farinata.”

 

 

 

Kaidan was barely aware that something had spoken as awareness came back to him. His arms and legs felt cold and heavy and his mind cloudy despite the familiar scent and sound of metal and something more. There was someone talking, and for a moment sounded purely like the time he'd been linked to the Heirarchy. It was like wading through treacle, fighting to put the words in some sort of order before his human mind finally caught the words fished from the abyss and translated them in his mind. 

 

“We’ll find what in Farinata?” Kaidan asked, looking around his too bright world at the shadow which consumed the rest of his vision. Am arm reached out, remind him of the accidental brushes only this time they did not stop at just his knuckles. Soon, a whole, dark, metal hand cupped his cheek and forced his vision upward.

 

“You will find it in Farinata.”

 

“You said that already,” Kaidan husked, the energy he had a moment ago sinking away. His eyes searched the head of the shadow, searching for something to stare back into. His breath taken deep into his chest and held, almost expectantly before the feeling settled into the pit of his stomach and lower.

 

“You will find it in Farinata.”

 

“What will I find?” He asked again.

 

“Me.”


End file.
